


[Drop it] [Do not]

by birdn4t0r



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Akamatsu Kaede Lives, Blood and Gore, Canon Rewrite, Canon-Typical Violence, Don't copy to another site, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Mild Gore, Multi, New Dangan Ronpa V3 Spoilers, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant - New Dangan Ronpa V3, Not What It Looks Like, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, What-If, You Have Been Warned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2019-11-04 18:00:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17902874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdn4t0r/pseuds/birdn4t0r
Summary: * Do you drop the shotput ball?❤[Drop it]                         [Do not]What if Kaede didn't roll that shotput ball?





	1. Chapter ? | Let's Start the Killing Game | Daily Life ?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, it's yet another "Kaede Lives" AU that I'm writing instead of continuing my other fics! :D
> 
> And before you guys start groaning at me...It's not what it looks like, I swear! ><;;;

_Let’s go to the world on the other side...the world on the other side of fiction...and try to check for ourselves...exactly what we managed to do._

_...The story is still ongoing. I’m sure that even on the other side...even on the other side of fiction, it’s still ongoing...just like that...the story is still ongoing. Was this lie able to change something? Was this lie able to change someone? Was this lie able to change the world? If it was able to change things even a little bit, then..._

_...The story isn’t over yet._

* * *

"Saihara-kun."

"Saihara-kun?" I shook his shoulder. He had a 1000-yard gaze, as though he were deep in thought. He looked spaced out, and nothing I was saying could get to him. He was in another world. His eyes had glazed over. Was he worried? I wondered if this was the true face of the Ultimate Detective. I shook his shoulder again; he'd gone into that 1000-yard gaze when I said how I wanted to smile, with everyone else...like he started thinking...I shook his shoulder again; he'd have to snap out of it eventually. And snap out of it he did.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, looking up at me from below his hat. "Akamatsu-san!" He seemed a little disoriented. He looked around the room, to the left, then to the right; it seemed like he was almost...confused. Like he'd had a daydream...or, considering our situation, and the fact he was an **Ultimate Detective** , a daymare. Had he been deducing everything that could possibly happen? Or...only one possibility? What would happen if I...I decided not to think about it. "Sorry, just spaced out for a bit there." he said, sheepishly pulling down the brim of his hat.

After our serious talk, we talked about this and that to kill some time. We did all we could...and prepared for whatever happened next. I was nervous, of course...But all we could do was wait for the moment to arrive. As the time limit drew closer and closer...And then suddenly...the moment arrived. Weird music suddenly began to blare through the entire room, the vibrations reverberating through my very core.

"Wh...what is this weird music?" I exclaimed, jumping from surprise; with my pianist's ears, it was as though someone had taken a speaker, put it next to a hearing trumpet in my ear, and blasted it into the trumpet at full volume. "Is it coming from that monitor?"

"Maybe it's a warning that we need to start killing." Saihara-kun speculated. "The time limit is almost up..."

"Th-They need to stop screwing with us!" I declared, still a little bit shaky, especially considering the disturbing video playing on the monitors..."How much suffering do they want from us?!"

"Wait, Akamatsu-san..." he blurted, turning his ear towards the door. "I hear people talking...in the hallway..."

"Huh? People talking?" I focused my attention on the hallway...I could hear a group of boys and girls talking. I tried my best to listen while I peered through the gap of the classroom doorーI saw seven boys and girls head down the stairs.

"Momota, Gokuhara, Harukawa...Chabashira, Yonaga, Yumeno...and...Amami, too?" I muttered, thinking aloud. The seven continued to walk down the stairs.

"What's a big group like that planning to do...?" asked Saihara-kun, turning to face me. _Amami was with them, too. Didn't he say he would end this game?_

"It's almost nighttime, right?" I theorized. "If they're all heading to the basement right now...Could the mastermind be with them? Momota, Gokuhara, Harukawa, Chabashira, Yonaga, Yumeno, and Amami...One of them is the mastermind?"

"It is unusual...for such a big group to all go to the basement." he reasoned. "They're not planning on going to the library, are they? That would be bad...They'll scare off the mastermind from using the bookcase and ruin the plan."

"What?"

"I'm going to check out the basement!" he announced, with an unusual amount of conviction.

"I'll come with you!"

"No!" he ordered. "You stay and keep watch, Akamatsu-san!" With that, Saihara-kun dashed out of the classroom.

"Huh? Why am I all alone now...?" Realizing I was alone, all the fear and anxiety I was trying to hide rushed back into me. "Ah, geez!" I exclaimed, slapping the table. I couldn't keep still, so I grabbed the broom from the corner of the classroom...I started cleaning for no reason at all. I had to move my body. The anxiety was getting to me. "Saihara-kun...please come back already..." I plead, even though I was alone. I continued to distract myself with cleaning until Saihara-kun finally came back.

"...Akamatsu-san? Why are you sweeping...?" Saihara-kun asked, seeming slightly...concerned.

"Huh?" I yelped. "O-Oh, no reason...Anyway, what about the people down in the basement?"

"Everything is okay." he confirmed. "They all went to the Game Room." _The Game Room? Why there?_ Suddenly, the monitor pinged and Monokuma's voice sounded over the monitor.

"Ding dong dong ding!" he sang, the monitor suddenly showing a laughing Monokuma with the scrolling message: In one hour...everyone dies.

"...There's only one hour until the time limit." Saihara-kun restated, as though he were trying to get his head around the fact that if this plan fails...we all die in one hour.

"Yeah, it's almost time..."

"I'm sure that the mastermind will make their move soon." he said, likely in an attempt to reassure the both of us that it'd all be okay. "If Monokuma is going to show up when the time runs out, the mastermind will go to the libraryー" Then, it happened so suddenly.

"Ah!" Saihara-kun exclaimed, his neck suddenly turning to the side with shock. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest as the receiver in Saihara-kun's hand suddenly went off.

"S-Saihara-kun! The receiver!"

"Someone moved the bookcase!" he exclaimed. "Hurry, Akamatsu-san!" Saihara-kun sprinted out of the classroom with the determination of a true **Ultimate Detective**.

"W-Wait for me!" I called. _Now...Now is the moment of truth. This is the moment I've been waiting for. But..._ I stood by the door. _Can really I do this...? Can I really...kill somebody? Even...even if their death means that everyone else will survive...? Can I really do that? Even if they're the mastermind who's forcing us to play a killing game...?_ My hands shook. _I..._ I dropped the broom and ran after Saihara-kun, my decision weighing heavily on my back. I could feel my heart beating faster and faster. I was so nervous, my head felt like it was pounding with every heartbeat. _I hope...I hope I did the right thing..._

"...Akamatsu-san, let's go inside." Saihara-kun said.

"Yeah!" I affirmed, stepping up to the door. Bracing myself to face the mastermind, I had balled my hands into fists without realizing it. _It'll be fine. Everything will work out._ The weight of my decision pulled down on my backpack straps. _I did the right thing._ I was still convincing myself when I caught up with Saihara-kun, who had his hand on the doorー

"Huh? What are you guys doing here?" asked a male voice. I turned around to see Momota and Chabashira, walking up from around the corner.

"Well, nevermind. Your timing's perfect. You should join our strategy meeting." he suggested, casually putting his hand behind his head.

"Akamatsu-san is definitely welcome to join!" Chabashira declared.

"Strategy meeting?" I asked.

"When the time limit hits, we're gonna fight Monokuma! We gotta plan for that battle!" explained Momota. "We thought it'd be harder for Monokuma to get to the basement, so we're going to the Game Roー"

"H-Hold on!" I interrupted. "Both of you, come with us! The mastermind is in the library!"

"Huh...? Mastermind?" asked Chabashira.

"We'll explain later, but right now, we need you to come with us." Saihara-kun urged, turning to the door. "We...might really be able to end this killing game."

"A-Are you serious?" Momota bleated.

"I-I don't really understand, but you just need me to Aikido-throw whoever's inside, right?!" asked Chabashira, putting on an offensive stance.

"No, I'll do it!" Momota argued, slamming his fists together. "I'll be the one to take them down!"

"This isn't a competition!" I groaned. "I'm gonna open the door right now, okay?!" Before they could respond, I turned away and walked towards the door to the library. My decision weighed upon my back. With the unveiling of the mastermind so close at hand, all my anxiety had disappeared. I stepped inside the library. As I walked in, I noticed the moving bookcase at the end of the room was slowly closing. But there was no sign of the mastermind. The moving bookcase had closed on its own, without any outside help.

"Where is...the mastermind...?" asked Saihara-kun, holding his hand up to his chin. We quickly walked toward the moving bookcase. And then, not too far from the moving bookcase...we saw...

We saw Amami, lying near the camera that I turned the flash on. And a shotput ball rolling away.

The weight of my decision cut into my shoulders.

_Where...did the other shotput come from...?_


	2. Chapter I | Friends Who Scream in Mortal Terror Together Stay Together | Daily Life ?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede's decision weighs heavily on her back as she begins to realize the true severity of the consequences. But you know what they way: Friends who scream in mortal terror together stay together! Upupu!
> 
> Huh? That's not it? Well, does this give them some kind of blood bond, then? What do you mean, that's not how it works?!

"A...mami-kun...?" I asked, staring at the place where he lay, eyes transfixed on the shotput that was slowly rolling away. There was a dent on the bookshelf, some distance away from him. He turned to me and flashed us a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, this probably looks pretty suspicious, I'm not gonna lie." he joked, standing up and dusting off his pants. "I'd tell you what I was doing, but..." He scratched his head and chuckles. "I don't know who threw that shotput ball, and I can't risk it." I started when he mentioned that someone threw a shotput ball and slid my bag off of one of my shoulders to check the contents. _One shotput ball, still wrapped in my vest._

"Wh...no way..." I muttered. Everyone looked at me. "There's no way there can be a...where did it come from...?"

"Akamatsu-san...?" muttered Saihara-kun, looking at me with that broken-neck expression of horror. But something in the way he looked at me told me he knew what I was planning the whole time. "I..."

"Akamatsu-san! Do I Aikido flip him?" Chabashira asked, again taking an offensive stance. "Is he the **mastermind**?"

"You...were trying to kill the **mastermind** , weren't you..." murmured Saihara-kun. "But you backed out..." He seemed relieved.

"What the hell's going on?!" bellowed Momota-kun. His voice resonated through the hallway; there's no way that anyone in the entire building could have not heard him. "What is this?!"

"Guess you guys know about the **mastermind** , too, huh?" Amami said, casually holding his arms out to the side. He acted so casual, it was almost eerie.

"I...I just thought there might be one..." stammered Saihara-kun, looking at Amami from under his hat.

"Seems like you were right, because I went down to this secret entrance before I got distracted by a flash of light." explained Amami, pointing at the camera. "It flashed again while I was trying to take it down, and then I heard someone behind me and ducked."

"Guess we missed the mastermind, huh?" said Saihara-kun. "Based on the fact you messed with the door and then suddenly had a shotput aimed at you, that was the mastermind...Can you tell me what they looked like, at least?"

Amami seemed like he was considering the question in his head, trying to recall the person who chucked the shotput at him. "All I saw was their silhouette, preparing to throw something before I ducked. Sorry about that." he apologized, scratching his head. "Got blinded by a second camera flash. Looks like the **mastermind** knew I was coming so they could set a trー"

"No, it was me." Everyone turned to face me once again. "The cameras were placed by Saihara-kun and me to try to catch the **mastermind** , but I turned on the flash because..." I paused my confession, still holding the culmination of all of the decisions I had made since waking up in this place in my backpack. "I was trying...to lure out the **mastermind**...so that I could kill them to end this game..." My voice softened to almost a whisper, and I looked down at my shoes. "I'm really sorry. I...almost started the killing game. And...I'm especially sorry to Saihara-kun. For not telling him the truth."

"Akamatsu-san!" exclaimed Chabashira. "You're not the one we need to blame for this! You were just trying to end the game and get everyone out of here, and there is nothing wrong with that!"

"Yeah!" added Momota. "I wouldn't have gone about it that way, but I don't think you're a bad person for it or anything!" I turned to Saihara-kun. He seemed to be deep in thought about something. _I wonder if he's mad at me...I wouldn't be surprised._ He stood there, for several more minutes in the silence, until he finally spoke.

"Ah." he uttered. "It's...so that's why...you rearranged the...You're...not a bad person, Akamatsu-san. You were just...trying to end the killing game. Actually...this might even help us find some more pieces to the puzzle...Can you tell us any more?"

"Well..." Amami replied, seeming contemplative. "I saw them coming out of the door. And for another thing...I can't tell you everything, because the mastermind probably has some way of monitoring everyone, but...As far as I know, this isn't the first killing game."

"Huh?!" I yelped. "Wh...What do you mean?" His statement was pretty self-explanatory, but it...it just wasn't sinking in. _This isn't the first killing game._ "You mean...there's been killing games before this?!"

"What??!"

"What the hell?!" Chabashira and Momota had a similar reaction, flinching with horror. Their eyes swirled with disbelief.

"Yeah." Amami confirmed. "I'm pretty confused about that whole thing, too, honestly. But...since I guess the whole 'unveil the mastermind' thing got messed up, our only options right now are to either kill someone, or...to wait until we get mauled by Monokumas, and I don't know about you, but I'm not really liking either of those options." Amami shrugged.

"Yeah..." mumbled Saihara-kun.

"Well, that's why we're having the strategy meeting in the first place!" shouted Momota, holding out his fist. "To prepare for the battle against Monokuma! So. Why don't you guys all come to the strategy meeting?"

I thought about what Momota was saying for a few seconds before I made my response. "Guess that's really our only option...ugh...This really would have gone better if we'd cooperated..." I groaned, holding my arm across my chest. "But...it's just so...risky. To collaborate, in this situation...especially considering that one of us might be...the mastermind."

"Exactly. The enemy of this game is cooperation." Saihara remarked. "That's why...it's discouraged as much as possible. This motive...is proof of that."

"So that's why you guys should all go to the stratー" But before Momota could finish his statement, a bell sounded from all of the monitors in the library.

"Upupu...looks like time's up!" cackled the already-too-familiar voice. "This is goodbye, then! Too bad, so sad!" The monitors clicked off, and all fell silent. Too silent. All five of us stood extremely still with the anticipation of our impending doom. _We failed. I failed. I...couldn't do it...And because of that, we're all going to die._ I looked around the room and came to the soon-to-be horrible realization that it wasn't just the five of us down in the library, but all 16 of us, in a single place. _They...they must have heard Momota's shouting and ran down here to see what was going on..._ The weight of my decision swung heavily on my shoulder as everyone ran in different directions, searching for any possible means of escape when the hundreds upon hundreds of Monokumas poured out of nowhere, madly lunging at us from all directions; Shinguuji was even attempting to climb the bookshelves before quickly being overtaken.

I gripped the door handle and came to the horrible realization that it was locked as a Monokuma sank its teeth into my upper calf.


	3. Chapter I | Let's All Scream in the Library Really Loudly | Ultimates' Execution, Executed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is this the end...? You can still make a decision. There is still time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Graphic descriptions of violence, blood, injuries, and some gore. This chapter is rated E.

I heard a loud shriek, blood pouring down my leg into my sock. I touched my throat and realized that it was mine. Without thinking, I smashed my leg into the wall to dislodge the mechanical bear that was tearing into my calf and trying to make his way up my leg. Miraculously...it worked. The Monokuma was flung from my leg and exploded, destroying a number of other Monokumas. Heart pounding, I ran over to the bookshelves, more of the sadistic bears already at my heels, trying to find something heavy enough to trigger another explosion when I saw Saihara-kun being attacked by the bears. Someone else's blood sprayed onto my back; the library was filled with the screams of my friends.  _I could have stopped this. If I'd just...rolled the ball..._ _That's it!_ A shotput ball flew from my hands, smashing the Monokuma that clawed at the neck of the detective. And then it exploded.

"Huh?!" someone yelped. "These things fucking explode?! That's just great-" His question was answered by the pained screaming of Shirogane, who had blood running down her face.

"GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-" Around the room, others could be heard shrieking things of similar nature. I don't remember how long I ran, trying to keep the Monokumas at bay with kicks and the shotput ball; I didn't notice that the number of assailants was slowly decreasing. With every Monokuma Chabashira kicked away, with every Monokuma punched by Momota, with every Monokuma Gokuhara slammed into the wall...the number slowly decreased. I looked around...Everything seemed to have a dreamlike quality to it, seeming almost unreal...I collapsed onto a Monokuma shard, which dug into my already-wounded legs. The pain of the stab brought me back to where I was. Against all better judgement, I examined the gashes in my legs; large chunks of flesh had been torn away, all the way down to the bone in some places. The shredded gashes were of variable lengths, the shortest being a simple slash across the side of my ankle from back to front, and the longest...the longest extended from my upper thigh all the way down to my heel. I could see my shredded muscles moving when I moved my legs; I realized my heart was pounding. To my left flitted Harukawa, the...Ultimate Child Caregiver. Somehow...she seemed to be mostly unscathed.

"Is everybody else alright?" I called, my voice straining. My head felt like it had been turned into a barbell as I turned my head, examining the situation. The library got a new paint job; the blood of the sixteen Ultimates in the room had turned nearly all surfaces in the library a disturbing shade of crimson. Somehow...even the tops of the bookshelves got some splatter on them. I realized...there was little movement in the room. Everything that was more than a few yards away was a little bit fuzzy, but all had fallen quiet. Adrenaline pulled me up onto my feet, but someone grabbed my arm and gently pulled me back down. Someone...with a soothing...voice...

 _"Sit down, it's all going to be ok a y . "_ The last thing I remembered seeing, as my body finally succumbed to the weight of my own head, was a long strip of someone's freshly-shredded flesh, glistening in the soft light of the library that was no longer attached to its owner.  _Ha...ha...it might be mine. . ._

_"Good Morning! It is now 8 AM!"_

* * *

_"Akamatsu-san...?"_

_"Oh my God, she's dead!"_

_"No, she's still got a pulse. Still alive."_

_"They're all dead! They're dead!"_

_"Calm down, Chabashira-san...They'll be okay. Probably."_

_"Kukuku...She's taking an awfully long time to wake up, considering her injuries..."  
_

_"She also spent the entire fuckin' time running around and getting fucked by fucking bears!"_

_"At least she didn't get pulled off a bookcase and mobbed like you did, Shinguuji-chan! Stop saying things that make people cry!"_

Bright light suddenly flashed into my eyelids, burning my retinas through my closed eyes. I scrunched up my face. "Ugh...just five more minutes..."

"See? Told you she's alive!"

"Kukuku...But you were the one who brandished a piece of flesh found on the floor and wore it as a scarf until Saihara-kun screamed, no?"  _F-Flesh?! What?! Monokumas?!_ My eyelids flew open, subjecting my tired eyes to the full force of the light overhead. But I was too weak to sit back up. I groaned.  _Everything hurts..._ I remembered what happened the night before and gasped, my body springing up when it is slowly brought back down by someone with steady hands.

"It is important that you rest." Kiibo instructed. "You are human, and one can only lose so much blood before...yeah. Actually, all of you guys need to rest."

"What? So you can rule over us meatbags?" Ouma mocked, grinning evilly. "Nah, it's only the people who got, like,  _badly_ mauled that need it!"

"Not to interfere, but..." Toujo spoke up. "Were you not the one that had to have their finger reattached?" I lowered my gaze to Ouma's hands. They were covered in bandages. Actually...everyone was bandaged to some degree. Some were worse than others, but I felt like none of them should have been standing around me.

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, the sleepyhead's awake!" gushed Ouma, looking as childish as ever.

"Where...am...I..." I managed to ask, blinking away tears as my eyes watered from the bright light. I slowly eased myself up so that I could talk to them more easily.

"We're in the infirmary. Which exists, by the way." he explained, grinning childishly. "It's awesome! You'll be walking around in no time! You weren't even dismembered or anything!"

"Nyeh..." groaned someone else. I turned and saw them to be Yumeno. "Don't remind me about the leg..." I nearly choked on my own saliva.

"H-huh?!" I gasped. "S-someone lost their leg?!"

"Nyahahaha! Not to worry!" beamed Yonaga, clasping her hands together and smiling. "Atua granted us the ability to reattach limbs! We were able to staple up Kaito-kun's leg in no time!"

"I'm just glad for sterile bandages..." Saihara muttered. "We had to use Shinguuji's...to stop the bleeding, at first..."

"Yeah, and who the fuck  _knows_ where they've been?!" shouted Iruma. "Probably up his ass, not gonna lie-"

"Please be silent...forever." I had been watching their conversation like a tennis match, my head turning back and forth to each participant in the conversation. The look in his eyes...was the most terrifying look I had ever seen from anyone. Ever. And his glare...it was fixed directly into Iruma's eyes. Like anyone who had a glare like that directed at them...right into their eyes...right into their  _soul_...from a guy like that...she withered and backed off.

"Wh-what? You don't have to get so angry..." she whimpered, backing away slowly.  _I...really hope I never make him mad. Let's stay on good terms! I did promise to meet his older sister, after all._

"Wait...how are we alive?" I asked, looking at everyone. But then, I heard the familiar  _shwing!_ characteristic of the one...creature whose face I'd hoped I'd never see again after...that. I still felt his teeth, digging into my legs...the blood dripping, pooling into my shoes...the way Shinguuji's blood sprayed when he fell into the mob, as though he'd been thrown in a woodchipper... _I thought he was a goner for sure_...the way Gokuhara held...his own...intestines...

"Hawawawa...I'm depressed." the bear whined.

"At what?!" Momota snapped, shouting at the bear. Toujo gently guided him to a bed, near the one where Gokuhara lay, presumably resting.  _He...really did a lot for us...He probably saved all of us..._ She then directed Chabashira to one on the opposite side of the room.

"Grr...kids these days, can't even appreciate the good ol' mass execution I had planned! The least you bastards could have done was die! Now I'll have to clean up all your blood! Do you know how hard it is to get blood out of paper?! And not to mention all the flesh chunks..." I was very, very glad that I didn't eat...whatever. Was offered for dinner. That night. The three who ate it, however, were not so lucky; I saw Shirogane turn slightly green at the mention of...the flesh chunks.

"Isn't that your fault though...?" she whimpered, one hand over her mouth. "I think I'm gonna puke..."

"Cut to the chase. What're you here for, anyway?" Momota barked.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" the bear chuckled. "I'm here to congratulate you on surviving! Even...if you weren't supposed to. I had some gifts planned for this morning, too, that'd give you the ability to explore more of the school, buuuuuuuuut, since none of you bastards died, I can't give them to you guys, because it takes a trade-off for them!"

"Nishishi...but, we still survived, riiiiiiiight?" mocked Ouma. The one who'd been suspiciously quiet up until this point, actually..."Aren't those 'presents' for surviving whatever game you want us to play?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"And don't those 'presents' give us more places to go? Which means...more ways for us to kill each other? After all, a killing game gets preeeeeeetty boring if it's all in one setting, nishishi!" I wanted to slap him.

"Ouma-kun, don't say that!" I said, my face contorting with horror.

"Hmm..." The bear...seemed to be considering it.  _Maybe he's just saying that stuff so...we can investigate more of the school...getting into the bear's head._ "Fine. But I'll do it tomorrow, juuuuuuuust in case one of you guys decides to die, because the prize is for those who survive! And you haven't survived just because you died later! That's not how it works!" And just as quickly as he appeared...Monokuma left, leaving the white room, know known to be the infirmary, completely silent as everyone gaped at each other in awe. He popped back in, just to say, "And don't use all my Monostaples!"

"So...they're not just...gonna kill us?" Yumeno muttered. "That's..."  _Looks like we have tomorrow cut out for us...but..._

"Wait. What's in here that...how will we be any better to investigate tomorrow than today?" I asked, looking at the people who could actually stand. "Being mauled...that usually takes...weeks, even months, to recover from..."

"Well, that's what it said on those 'quick heal' medical staples in here." said Hoshi. "And that Mono-thing said that it was true...and he's, sadly, our only source of information."

"It's magic!" beamed Yumeno, throwing her hands in the air.

"Might as well be." he replied, pulling his hat down before turning around. "Definitely seemed to help out a bit, 'specially with putting Momota's leg back on." And with that, he left. He appeared to be among the least injured of the groupーbesides Yumeno and Kiiboーso nobody moved to protest.

"Well, with all that said and done, I think that the most logical course of action right now would be to rest and allow those 'quick med' kits time to act, since we don't really have much else to do today." Kiibo suggested. My head was beginning to hurt.

"Yeah, sounds good." I muttered, placing my hand on my forehead. "I think we should all do that."

* * *

**[Chapter 1: Let's Start the Killing Game! - END]**

Students Remaining: 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Monostaples are a bit of a deus ex machina, I know, but there's a reason they exist that's /not/ because I want to keep to the original timeline of the game.


	4. Chapter II | A Thin Line Divides Heaven and Hell | Daily Life I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a night of horror, Kaede relieves a half-dead Kirumi of her duties, only to be subsequently relieved of her duties by Maki, who is then forcibly relieved of her caretaking by Nurse Monokuma.
> 
> Strength and Weakness, Heaven and Hell...All are interconnected, only separated by a thin line.

I woke up in a white room, having not even realized that I had fallen asleep. _Where..._ It was then that the events of the previous night returned to me with horrific clarity as I sat up and looked around the room at all the people I had failed. I felt as though I was forgetting something as I stood up to get out of the infirmary bed and began to walk until I felt something tug at my arm. _An IV...Hold on!_ Seeing the IV which attached an empty blood packet to my arm, I remembered it! It was my legs! My legs got shredded in the attack! I looked down at my bandaged legsー _I could have sworn they were fatter than_ _this_ ーand began to unwrap the bandages. The first thing I noticed, now that I was aware of it, was the lack of pain from putting weight on them. My legs felt very weak, but I was standing. _Why am I suddenly so weak...? Could it be the blood loss? But I'm not_ _lightheaded..._ After I unwrapped the bandages, I understood. Underneath the bandages was a horrible sight; horrible, stapled gashes ran up and down my legs from my ankles...all the way up to my upper thigh. A scream caught itself in my throat as my eyes traveled up and down the horrific scars on my legs, as I remembered the other people still in the infirmary that would need to rest and probably couldn't deal with the scream. So from my throat emerged a strange, choked gurgle of horror. It was as though I had been pulled through a meat grinder and then put back together; Well, that actually isn't an inaccurate description of that whole situation...The numerous Monokumas that just appeared from all directions...

I heard something from behind me and swiveled around, ready to fight whatever fresh horror had appeared in this hell before me. What I saw was the resting Chabashira, breathing. _I'm getting paranoid,_ I thought, taking a deep breath before detaching myself from the IV drip leading from the now-empty blood packet and decided to check on my classmates who were still in the infirmary; Gonta-kun, Chabashira, Momota, Toujo. All but Toujo were lying down, asleep in the beds.

"Hey, Toujo-san." I said, waving at her. Her eyes were glazed over, her condition evident in her 1000 yard gazeーShe should not have been up yet.

"Ah, Akamatsu-san. Forgive me for spacing out..." she responded, after a pause, with a slight bow. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I could ask you the same question, honestly..." I replied, answering her question with another question. "You look kind of pale, Toujo-san. Are you sure you should be up and doing maid stuff?"

"It is my duty as a maid to ensure the well-being of others before myself..."

"That doesn't sound very good for you...Can't you do that better if you took care of yourself? You don't look too great."

"..." She spaced off again, her eyes returning to that glazed-over look she had before. _The Ultimate Maid, not noticing I got up...? She...definitely isn't doing well at all._ She looked so much paler than usual that I almost thought I was looking at a corpse. The idea caused a chill to travel down my spine... _No! I can't think about that! We made it through that together! We'll survive whatever Monokuma throws at us! We already survived this! We'll get out of here, together!_ I shook my head and took her hand.

"Hey, Tojjo-san...Can I make a request?" I asked, holding her hand in mine. She was pale and clammy.

 "...A request...?" she mumbled, her eyes far away and blank. _She won't last much longer if she keeps pushing herself like this!_

"Yeah, a request...Can you please rest?" I requested, taking her hand in mine. "Until you feel better, at least. I'll look after the others." I smiled at her, hoping to get the message across.

"..." She looked at me, as though thinking about this request. Then, she slowly nodded and moved to an empty infirmary bed, where she collapsed. _If she didn't collapse there, I'm sure she would have died on her_ _feet..._ I made sure she was going to be okay, and tended to her injuries, as well, before I checked up on the others. I wasn't great at it, but I know enough to change some bandages; though, it definitely wasn't as good as Toujo's work. But there was no Ultimate Nurse here, so this would have to do, I guess, and I definitely couldn't rely on Monokuma; this was a result of his punishment, after all! _All safe and sound._ I thought, with a touch of relief. Them being alive...it gave me hope. I tended to the others for a while, a few hours, at least, before someone else entered the infirmary.

"Hey." spoke the calm voice of the closest thing there was to a nurse in this hellhole. "I came to check on them." Harukawa. The Ultimate Child Caregiver. Somehow, she was nearly untouched by the Monokumas; she and Hoshi were the only ones. The others who could have been unscathed sacrificed themselves for others. They were still here.

"Oh, hi, Harukawa." I greeted tentatively, with a small wave. "Everyone's doing oka..." She didn't even turn around, instead immediately turning to the others to check on them.

"I didn't come here for a chat." she replied simply, redoing some of the bandages I'd apparently butchered with a sigh. "You can go now. I've got this."

"But don't you want help...?" I started, before being cut off by Harukawa.

"I don't need your help. Go away." She didn't even need to look at me for me to get the message as she shooed me away with the tone of her voice; it was ice cold. A shiver traveled down my spine. _She can't be a bad person, though...I mean, she's taking care of_ _everyone._ I did what Harukawa told me to and left the infirmary, somewhat dejected; but at the same time, somewhat...hopeful. Hopeful that we would be able to get out of this hellhole, together.

I spotted a certain **someone** I needed to apologize to as I wobbled away from the infirmary with no particular destination in mind.

"Hey, Saihara-kun, can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked, briskly speedwalking up to him. He spun around, and smiled when I walked up to him. My legs wobbled under me.

"Hey, Akamatsu-san-" He stopped and caught me as I lost my balance and toppled over with a cry. "...Sorry..." He was holding me close to him, his arms wrapped around my waist. I noticed...He wasn't wearing his hat!

"Ah, Saihara-kun!" I exclaimed, pointing at his head. "Your hat!" He averted his gaze, a slight blush tinging his cheeks.

"Yeah...It kind of got...torn apart...during the...attack..." he explained, before I interrupted. "Toujo-san's repairing it...I'm not gonna...rush her..." An image of the half-dead Toujo flashed in my mind that I desperately wanted to blink away as fast as possible. I shook my head, hoping Saihara-kun didn't notice.

"You look better with it off!" I beamed, giving him a smile that I hoped came across warmly.

"Thanks...so...What did you...want to talk to me about?" he asked, trying not to look me in the eye. Progress takes time.

"I just wanted to say...I'm sorry! For lying to you..." I bowed deeply and began to spill my entire plan, from the books to the shotput ball and everything, right until the part where I didn't go through with it. For planning to use his plan to expose the mastermind to...kill. "I should have trusted you, and..." He stopped me, and patted my shoulder.

"Hey...You don't have to...apologize. It's okay." He shook his head and set his hand on my shoulder. _His hand is so warm..._ "You just...wanted to end the killing game. And...What matters is...You didn't kill anyone, Akamatsu-san. In the end...All that really matters...is what happened, right?" He smiled at me, as though he...knew? Maybe I was just overthinking it, but he...he definitely looked like he knew something. _He...really is the Ultimate Detective, huh..._ We were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Just from hearing them, how heavy they wereーThey were stomping footstepsーI knew that whoever it was was...frustrated, at the very least.

"Harukawa...?" Saihara-kun stuttered, his voice trailing off. I turned around. If looks could kill, the both of us would have keeled over, dead. But...her glare didn't seem to be directed at us. She just seemed...angry at everything, kicking a pebble into a nearby tree with such force that it was embedded into the trunk. "Weren't you going to check on those in the..."

"That bear kicked me out." she stated curtly, her voice even and cold, as usual. I would not want to be the object of the Caregiver's rage. "Said he'd take care of everyone, and when I told him I didn't trust him, he fed me some bull story about how bears never lie." she explained, her arms crossed. "He said he'd take care of them, but who knows with him." she grumbled. "Whatever." She stormed off, clearly trying to seem less angry than she was. _Well...she_ is _the Ultimate Child Caregiver...No wonder she's so stormy about it. She acts cold, but...nobody'd be that pissed off about Monokuma kicking them out if they didn't care at least a little bit, right?_ A chill traveled down my spine, thinking about how Monokuma was going to handle our friends...Chabashira. Gonta-kun. Toujo-san. Momota. Saihara-kun and I shared a glance, before both of us ran/limped back to the infirmary. I wrapped my hand around the handle when a certain dual-tone bear appeared out of nowhere and began admonishing us.

"Hey! Didn'tcha hear?! This place is closed for all non-Monokuma inflicted injuries! We're closed! Bug off!" It was the one with glasses, Monosuke. "Scram!"

"How do we know Monokuma's not going to kill them?" I spat, rage bubbling up in my chest. We survived, they survived, only for them to do this! It made me boil with rage!

"Thought I tol' dat girl already...jeez! Thinka it as a prize for survivin' the night! Trust me, they're in th' capable hands of Nurse Monokuma now! Now scram!" he barked, spitting from behind his pacifier before leaving. I shuddered at the image that popped into my mind of Monokuma in a sexy nurse outfit...No! I won't curse anyone else with it! We both stood there, astonished. _So...We really...can't get back in_ _there..._ I wanted to scream, and cry, and...! But I couldn't, not there. They were all counting on me to be strong! _If I don't stay strong...I have to stay strong!_ _Otherwise..._ I shuddered at the idea of what would have happened if I'd let myself give in to the temptation of murder.

"Come on...we...have to tell the others!" I announced, Saihara-kun helping me along on my wobbly legs. _I have to stay strong! I have! To stay strong!_

**Author's Note:**

> For the love of God, please comment;;;


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